Tapping apparatus



Oct. 25, 1938. H. w. RIBBLE TAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1937 ATTORNEYVS'.

INVENTOR HARRY W. RIBBLE.

BY I

Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES.

'IAPPING arranarus Barry W. kibble, Niles Center, 111.,

mesne nor. y ents, to Rapids Equipment Co.

Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa. Application April 24, 1937, Serial No. 138.678

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 138-44) The invention relates to apparatus for drawing beer or other carbonated beverages from barrels or other containers.

More particularly the invention relates to a tapping apparatus of the type wherein the tapping member is provided with means restricting the flow of the beverage from the keg or barrel to such an extent that the beer will flow from the faucet at the end of the tap member without uniO due foaming and at or slightly above atmospheric pressure even though the pressure in the barrel is considerably above atmosphere and usually kept at about five to fifteen pounds per square inch gauge. The main object of the invention 15 is to provide a tapping apparatus of the type above described with a member forming a removable restriction inthe tapping member so that the interior of said tapping member and the restricting member may be readily cleaned. Fur- 20 thermore, the present invention simplifies the construction of the tapping apparatus, is more sanitary as there is no chance for leaks between the inside parts of the apparatus, and the restricting member is adaptable to all lengths of 25 tap rods to fit the difierent sizes of containers with which said rods are used.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of tip for the tapping'rod.

The invention further consists in the several 30 features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is an elevation view of anapparatus embodying the invention showing it in operating 5 position, parts of the barrel being broken away and parts being shown in section:

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the tapping member, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section; 40 Fig. 3 is a detailed section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the tappin member as viewed from the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. In the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a bar- 45 rel, keg, or other suitable container for the beer or other beverage to be dispensed and 6 a standard flve-eighths or one-half inch diameter tap rod adapted to be mounted in and connected with the container by any suitable so-called Peerless 50 fitting 1 which includes a pipe section I surround- Y ing the tap rod for a portion of its length and having the usual pipe connection 9 for conducting air or gas under pressure to the barrel so that the gas pressure in the barrel may be maintained as the beer is withdrawn.

The tap rod 6 is threaded at its upper end to take an elbow fitting ill with which any suitable faucet ll having a shut off valve I2 may be connected. Thelower end of the rod 6 is threaded to take the threaded end of the tip l3 whose lower end has an annular bevel H in which a plurality of relatively small holes l5 normal to said beveled surface are drilled. These holes act as a strainer to prevent any large particles of foreign matter getting into the tap rod, and their inclination 10 helps to direct the beer into the tap rod without producing undue turbulence.

For restricting the fiow of beverage through a portion of the tap rod I provideta restricting member or plug i 6 which isprovided with reduced extensions I1 and I8 for removably mounting said member in said rod. These extensions are in the form of rods in threaded engagement with the ends of the member IS, the member lI having its upper end mounted in a centering recess go I! in the fitting ill and the member l8 extending down to and resting on the tip l3 which may also have a centering recess though I prefer to use two pins mounted in the lower end of the member I 8 and extending at right angles to each other for centering this end of the plug. The rods I1 and It may be of such length as to position the plug it at either the top or the bottom portion or intermediate the ends of the tap, rod. The plugis of a diameter to materially reduce the cross-section of the channelof the rod through a portion of its length, and in the case of a tap rod of about one-half inch inside diameter, the

outside diameter of the plug may be about sevensixteenths of an inch. This restriction throttles the flow of beverage to such an extent that when the faucet isaopened the beer will flow therefrom without much foaming. Removal of the tip l3 permits the plug being dropped out for cleaning it and the interior of the tap rod, and thus the 0 parts may be kept in a very sanitary condition.

The exposed end of the tap rod above the fitting I may be heat insulated by a sleeve 2| of sponge rubber or other suitable insulating material.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1.- A tap rod for conducting a beverage from a 5 container comprising a hollow rod adapted to be inserted into said container and having a uniform internal diameter for a substantial portion of its length, a member of substantially uniform diameter within said portion of said hol- .2 low rod and materially restricting the flow or beverage through said rod, and means for fixedly supporting said member within said portion of said rod, said means providing for removal oi said member through one end of said rod.

2. A tap rod for conducting a beverage from a container under a substantial pressure, comprising a hollow rod of sufllcient length to extend to a point adjacent the bottom of said container when inserted through the top thereof, said rod having a substantially uniform internal diameter throughout its length, a plug member of uniform diameter less than said internal diameter of said rod disposed in said rod adjacent one end thereof for materially restricting the flow of beverage through said rod, and means for fixedly mounting and centering said plug member in said rod, said means providing for removal of said plug member through one end of said rod.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hollow tap rod having a removable tip, of a member disposed in said rod to materially restrict the flow therethrough for a portion of its length, said member having end portions of reduced diameter engaging the upper end portion of said rod and said tip, said member being bodily removable from said rod on. the removal of said tip. i

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hollow cylindrical tap rod having a removable tip, 01 a cylindrical member disposed in said rod to materially restrict the flow therethrough for aportion of its length,

rods of reduced-diameter secured to the ends of said member, one of said last named rods being centered in the upper end of said tap rod, the other of said last named rods engageable with said tip, and means at the lower end 01 said cylindrical member to center the same relative to said tap rod.

' 5. In a device 01 the character described, the combination with a hollow tap rod having a removable end portion, of a member disposed in said rod for materially restricting the flow therethrough for a portion 0! its length, said member having end portions of reduced cross section respectively engaging the end portions oi said rodto support said member, said member being bodily removable from said rod upon removal of said removable end portion. a

6. In a device oi the character described, the combination with a hollow tap rod having a removable tip, of a member disposed in said rod for materially restricting the flow therethrough for a portion of its length, means for supporting said member-against movement within said rod including an end portion of reduced cross section on said member engaging said tip to support said member in said rod, said member being bodily removable from said rod upon removal of said tip.

'7. In a device combination with a hollow tap rod, of a member disposed in said rod for materially restricting the flow therethrough for a portion of its length, said member having an end portion of reduced cross section engaging the tip of said rod to support said member in said rod, said tip having an external beveled edge, and a plurality of apertures extending through said beveled edge substantially at right angles thereto, said apertures surrounding said end portion and extending at an angle thereto to direct the flow oi the beverage into said rod without undue turbulence.

HARRY w. RIIBBLE.

of the character described, the 

